genomics
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Decoding Transcriptional Regulatory Networks To Illuminate the Mechanisms of Microbial PathogenicitySadri Znaidi works in the field of molecular mycology with a focus on functional genomics in Candida albicans. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the paper “An iron homeostasis regulatory circuit with reciprocal roles in Candida albicans commensalism and pathogenesis” by Chen...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceGenomic Variation among Strains of Crithidia bombi and C. expoekiA group of trypanosomatid flagellates includes several well-studied medically and economically important parasites of vertebrates and plants. Nevertheless, the vast majority of trypanosomatids infect only insects (mostly flies and true bugs) and, because of that, has attracted little research attention in the past. Of several hundred trypanosomatid species, only four can infect bees (honeybees and bumblebees). Because of such scarcity,...
Observation | Applied and Environmental ScienceSalmonella Genomic Island 1B Variant Found in a Sequence Type 117 Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli IsolateSGI1 and variants of it carry a variety of antimicrobial resistance genes, including those conferring resistance to extended-spectrum β-lactams and carbapenems, and have been found in diverse S. enterica serovars, Acinetobacter baumannii, and other members of the...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyComprehensive Identification of Fim-Mediated Inversions in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli with Structural Variation Detection Using Relative EntropyUTI is a common ailment that affects more than half of all women during their lifetime. The leading cause of UTIs is UPEC, which relies on type 1 pili to colonize and persist within the bladder during infection. The regulation of type 1 pili is remarkable for an epigenetic mechanism in which a section of DNA containing a promoter is inverted. The inversion mechanism relies on what are thought to be dedicated recombinase genes; however,...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyFunctionally Related Genes Cluster into Genomic Regions That Coordinate Transcription at a Distance in Saccharomyces cerevisiaeThe two-dimensional, physical positioning of genes along a chromosome can impact proper transcriptional regulation throughout a genomic region. The transcription of neighboring genes is correlated in a genome-wide manner, which is a characteristic of eukaryotes. Many coregulated gene families can be found clustered with another member of the same set—which can result in adjacent gene coregulation of the pair. Due to the myriad gene...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDiversity and Population Overlap between Avian and Human Escherichia coli Belonging to Sequence Type 95APEC causes a range of infections in poultry, collectively called colibacillosis, and is the leading cause of mortality and is associated with major economic significance in the poultry industry. A growing number of studies have suggested APEC as an external reservoir of human ExPEC, including UPEC, which is a reservoir. ExPEC belonging to ST95 is considered one of the most important pathogens in both poultry and humans. This study is...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceThe Phylogenomic Diversity of Herbivore-Associated Fibrobacter spp. Is Correlated to Lignocellulose-Degrading PotentialThe herbivore gut microbiome is incredibly diverse, and a functional understanding of this diversity is needed to more reliably manipulate this community for specific gain, such as increased production in ruminant livestock. Microbial degraders of plant cell wall polysaccharides in the herbivore gut, particularly Fibrobacter spp., are of fundamental importance to their hosts for digestion of a diet consisting primarily of...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceRegulation of Yeast-to-Hyphae Transition in Yarrowia lipolyticaMany yeasts undergo a morphological transition from yeast-to-hyphal growth in response to environmental conditions. We used forward and reverse genetic techniques to identify genes regulating this transition in Yarrowia lipolytica. We confirmed that the transcription factor Ylmsn2 is required for the transition to hyphal growth and found that signaling by the...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionImproving Our Understanding of Salmonella enterica Serovar Paratyphi B through the Engineering and Testing of a Live Attenuated Vaccine StrainWe developed a live attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B vaccine that conferred protection in mice against challenge with S. Paratyphi B sensu stricto and S. Paratyphi B Java, which are the causes of enteric fever and gastroenteritis, respectively. Currently, the incidence of invasive S. Paratyphi B sensu stricto...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenome-Wide Association Analyses in the Model Rhizobium Ensifer melilotiGenome-wide association analyses are a powerful approach for identifying gene function. These analyses are becoming commonplace in studies of humans, domesticated animals, and crop plants but have rarely been conducted in bacteria. We applied association analyses to 20 traits measured in Ensifer meliloti, an agriculturally and ecologically important bacterium because...